Since Berners first played with Black Rock Desert in 1990, the culture and spirit we created has permeated the wider world. Initially, our imprint was small and vague. But slowly, year after year, as Black Rock City grew and reshaped, Burning Man’s culture began to have a considerable impact on the wider world.
As the local network expanded and the Burning Man culture evolved, Burners around the world built temporary cities and events, cultivating a global community throughout the year. Until recently, our cities, however great they were, remained ephemeral, popping up in fields, deserts, forests and virtual spaces around the world and then disappearing.
Year-round hub for sustaining Burning Man culture and community
If Burning Man all year round A city built around our ten principles?Is there anything you can visit, co-create, and learn from? Autonomous region It serves as an annual incubator for arts, education and maker culture.
Instead of isolated pieces, we can create zones of space, persistent zones of autonomy, communities that disrupt cultures rooted in physical space that circumvent formal control structures through decentralization.
– Writer and poet Hakim Bey
Soon you won’t have to use your imagination anymore. we are building it.
No — this does not mean that Black Rock City is up and running all year round. Besides being logistically impractical, part of the magic of our desert cities is their ephemeral nature.
But it’s building a permanent hub of Burning Man culture in northern Nevada. Berners of all abilities, skills, his set and background make up the region’s leading rural center. inclusive growth It will open up new opportunities not only for burners, but also for Nevadans who call this dusty corner of the world home.
We build what we believe in. It doesn’t happen overnight and we can’t build everything ourselves. Whether you’re volunteering, creating art, organizing, donating, sharing knowledge, or just stopping by to say hello, you’re involved in this collaborative effort. You are most welcome.
Building a Better World Must Start in Your Backyard
With Black Rock City events suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have had time to evaluate the Burning Man project. Mission: “To promote and extend the culture emanating from the Burning Man event into the larger world.”
We realized that to really make an impact in the world, we had to start in our own backyard. We took a close look at our systems, our workers and our connections with communities, and in the light of our mission, we assessed the respective impacts of our presence on communities.
Burning Man and Gerlach go hand in hand. The Burning Man Project now owns more than half of Gerlach’s commercial properties. And since he acquired 3,800 acres of land in 2016, we’ve had a steady presence at Fly Ranch. Every year our dusty city sits in the midst of an unreliable neighborhood with very limited access to employment and education. It has utilities such as electricity and internet, and few services and amenities such as grocery stores, hospitals, and daycares.
If you’ve read Jessica Bruder’s book Nomadland: America’s Survival in the 21st Century, or the movies inspired by it, you’ve seen the harsh realities facing northern Nevada residents. In the film, Fern (played by Frances McDormand) embarks on a journey after losing his job in Empire, a factory town right next door to Gerlach. This story plays out in endless permutations throughout northern Nevada and throughout thousands of other remote communities across the United States.
Applying everything we learn to build an inclusive new economy
We want this corner of the world to be livable in every possible way. In northern Nevada, Berners has an opportunity to build an inclusive new economy. This economy brings not only jobs, but much-needed infrastructure and services to Garlach, Empire, and neighboring communities. The model we’ve launched could eventually help other towns and regions across the country that similarly lack economic opportunity and basic amenities.
Burning Man Project Board Member and Senior Director of Nevada Operations Matthew ‘Chef’ Kwatinetz said: “For us to be more than ephemeral, more than a yearly mirage in the desert, we must leave a positive imprint. When people ask us if they can, they have to be able to go to a place and see our impact in the remaining 51 weeks of the year.
During what is dubbed the 2021 Hot Gerlach Summer, staff, locals, Black Rock City organizers, and many others will come together to bring physical prototypes, sustainable systems, new infrastructure, and community amenities to 25 miles of land. built in the area. Summer 2020 involved about 75 people in the area, while in summer 2021 he involved over 2,500 people at various facilities.
And the work continues. Together we are building a new economy, a new community and a new rural way of the world. Our commitment is to fight gentrification while at the same time supporting culturally rich spaces that offer new ways of regeneration for people of all walks of life to thrive. not.
Three focus areas: sustainability, education and recreation
The properties we own and operate in Northern Nevada are embedded in our local communities and are essential in increasing our presence and commitment in this area. Rather than letting them sit dormant, he is revitalizing them to drive inclusive economic growth that is closely aligned with his 10 principles of Burning Man.
Working and investing in Northern Nevada will have no financial impact on our ability to produce Black Rock City, thanks to a specially designated and generous donation to the Northern Nevada project. In fact, ongoing work in northern Nevada is supporting Black Rock City and its workers by improving infrastructure, extending employment contracts, and building new systems to be deployed in Black Rock City. (Keep an eye out for upcoming Baby Wookie and Unicorn solar units). This year empowers a man). These projects have the potential to bring cultural, social and economic benefits and help the people of Burning Man and northern Nevada thrive for decades to come.
Following a year of discussions with communities and local governments, and a review of Gerlach’s previous plans, we are working with graduate researchers at the NYU Urban Lab to identify rational options for inclusive growth. has been identified. Growth requires new industries. We identified his three sectors—sustainable energy, education, and recreation—as most likely to create jobs and open up valuable opportunities for Northern Nevada residents and burners.
sustainable energy
Located in the midst of abundant sources of solar and geothermal energy, the Burning Man Project’s Northern Nevada facility will support the 2030 sustainability goal of freeing Black Rock City from fossil fuels. Activated. We apply the acquired skills and technologies, as well as his 20+ years of experience in the desert, to create new local opportunities and jobs in the green economy.
Already in operation, 360 is a residential village and maker space where camps, arts, and mutant vehicle crews can store and work year-round on projects near Black Rock City. The 360’s proximity to our desert city allows Burners to dramatically reduce their use of fossil fuels to bring art and infrastructure to Black Rock City. It also deployed a fleet of solar trailers and arrays to power Fly Ranch, 360, Black Rock City 2022 infrastructure, and Man (100% solar by 2022).
and fly lunchon a 3,800-acre ranch in northern Nevada, We are moving towards the goal of creating a common good as agricultural land with a recycling cycle of food, water, power, shelter, waste and AI.r. The land regularly hosts ecologically sustainable hosts Management date, labyrinth walkWhen nature walkRecently, Berners Without Borders and participants LAGI 2020The Fly Ranch Design Challenge camped in a small area of Playa facing the Hualapai Flat. The LAGI team unites to connect with the land, partnered with Visit the Pyramid Lake Museum and Visitor’s Center to explore how a prototype of your project could be built. We hope these projects will serve as the underlying regenerative infrastructure for Fly Ranch and show how Burning Man can achieve its goals. 2030 Sustainability Roadmap.
education
At the heart of Burning Man’s culture is an ecosystem of teaching and collaborative learning. Over the past two years, to make Burner’s knowledge more accessible, burning man hive and the Gerlach Workforce Development Center (GWDC). His GWDC, located in the heart of Gerlach, where he has already hosted three in-person semesters, has brought together locals, tribe members, Public Works Department crews, other Burning Man staff, and We welcome all who are interested to improve their trade and professional skills. Learn how to create a sustainable, non-commercialized business and more. GWDC courses are accessible to everyone. To date, more than half of the participants have received scholarships.
The medium-term plan is to create a campus in northern Nevada that integrates all types of education. We are already in talks with universities to create joint programs that offer accredited courses.
recreation
Much of Northern Nevada’s current economy is based on recreation. In addition to the thousands of Burners who visit Black Rock City each year, tourists also visit the area to camp, hunt and explore. Black Rock Desert – High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trail National Conservation AreaIncreasing infrastructure and amenities to support recreation can be a year-round engine of local employment and economic growth. The Burning Man Project’s northern Nevada facility will provide accommodations and community spaces for visitors and travelers in the region. From events at 360 Maker Space, to art trails, RV parks, public hot springs, overnight stays at Desert Club hotels, and even mini-golf.
I can’t wait to share the details
I still have a lot to say! In the first installment of our series on our work in Northern Nevada, you’ll get a glimpse of the thinking behind all these new projects. We can’t wait to tell you more about our 360-degree countryside maker spaces, villages and sculpture parks. Desert Club Hotel, Incubator, Community Plaza. More housing in Gerlach for staff and visitors. A trailer park in Gerlach and all other projects we work on.
But first, I wanted to dig a little deeper into why, and share my excitement about the massive rebirth of the Burning Man project during the COVID-19 pause. Visit this space for stories and experiences from people who live and work in Northern Nevada. When you come to Gerlach, please stop by and say hello. local community events.
Cover image: the 360 (Photo by John Curley)
